What skills do I need to develop to be prepared to construct effective sentences, paragraphs, and thesis-driven essays?

Why Take This Course?

In Writing 8 A, students set the foundation for advanced writing.

In 8th grade writing, we lay the foundation for the advanced essay writing that will be required in high school and college. We begin with grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and then build up to sentence structure. Once we can construct effective sentences, we develop the skill of writing compelling paragraphs. When we have mastered sentence and paragraph construction, we’re ready to try our hand at three and five-paragraph essays and Writing B.

Course Framework

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

What can the rich variety of poetry teach me about using language as a means of personal expression?

What are the elements of a proper paragraph and how can I strategically use them to effectively meet my writing purpose?

How can I write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events?

Can I demonstrate mastery of the punctuation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary content covered in this course?

Can I identify figurative language (such as imagery, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, alliteration, and question) and its influence in poetry?

What writing process (inquiry, drafting, revision, and publishing) strategies help me with writing?

What techniques for narrative writing are most compelling to me personally?

Can I correctly spell all 100 most commonly misspelled words?

What poetry techniques unlock my creative expression through writing?

How do topic sentences, supporting evidence, and clincher sentences come together in a proper paragraph?

What stylistic techniques can add interest and variety to my paragraphs?

How do I effectively do the following:

Establish a point of view

Introduce an event sequence

Signal shifts from one time frame to another

Show relationships among experiences and events

Can I demonstrate my knowledge of punctuation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary through competitions with my peers?

What strategies for inquiry, drafting, and publishing can I use to successfully create meaningful poetry?